We can wash blood off of our T-shirts

When a fire at the Tazreen garment factory in Bangladesh killed 112 people in November, many wondered what more it would take before something would be done to improve labor conditions in the country, the world's No. 2 clothing exporter.

The world didn't have to wait long for the next test: the collapse on April 25 of Rana Plaza, an eight-story building housing multiple factories. At least 403 people have died. In total, more than 1,000 garment workers have been killed in Bangladesh since 2005, according to the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy group.

Sewing clothes isn't inherently dangerous. Deaths can be prevented if factories adhere to basic fire and structural standards. Can this happen in Bangladesh, where in 30 years the garment industry grew from nothing to an $18 billion a year business on the premise of cheap labor and minimal effective regulation? It's an example of the kind of tough challenge that, increasingly, producers and consumers in a global marketplace must jointly meet.

Yes, it would be ideal if the government firmly enforced building codes and fire standards. But Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest countries. Don't expect it to have a first-rate enforcement regime. Moreover, owners of the small and medium factories that are typically the most unsafe can't afford to make major improvements; to survive in the competitive world of outsourcers, they generally operate on slim profit margins.

So who's left? At this point, Western retailers and consumers, who have the immediate wherewithal to effect change. First-world consumers have been the chief beneficiaries of the growth of garment manufacturing in Bangladesh and other developing countries. Americans are reaping bargains by importing more than 97 percent of what they wear. Since 1998, women's clothing costs have fallen 7 percent, and men's have fallen 8 percent. In Britain, costs have dropped 20 percent since 2005.

For global brand retailers, ensuring factories are safe is not only right but also smart. Remember the consumer backlash over conditions in Vietnamese factories that made Nike products? During the 1990s, that cost the company sales and share value. Major retailers caught up in the Rana Plaza collapse include Associated British Food's Primark and Loblaw Cos.' Joe Fresh. Wal-Mart Stores was supplied by Tazreen. More catastrophes could expose these companies to harsh scrutiny. Certainly these tragedies are already provoking unusual labor unrest that is disrupting production and hurting the bottom line.

Retailers can ensure factory improvements are made by signing on to the Fire and Building Safety Agreement for Bangladesh, a program promoted by workers' rights advocates.

For the retailers that have held back, signing now offers protection for Bangladesh's workers and against such scandals. Failing such reforms, the "Made in Bangladesh" label seems likely to turn into a scarlet letter.